Drive mechanism for circuit controllers



June 17 1924. 1,497,843

F. F. DORSEY DRIVE MECHANISM FOR CIRCUIT CONTROLLERS Filed Sept. 24.1923 T% Fiigollo i 5' 20 i I I /6 I Z /3 Ffigo 2 c I F3 0 30 c I g E :i

Patented June 17, E324.

UNITED STATES 1,497,843 PATENT OFFICE.

FARNU-M F. DORSEY. OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK. ASSIGNOR TO NORTH EASTELECTRIC COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

DRIVE MECHANISM FOR CIRCUIT CONTROLLERS.

Application filed Scptember 24, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FARNUM F. DonsnY, a citizen of the l nitcd States,residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drive Mechanism forCircuit Controllers; and I do hereby declare the. following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, suchas will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

In electric ignition apparatus, for an internal-combustion engine, theprimary or secondary circuits, or both, are usually controlled by arotary circuit-controller or distributor which is driven, throughgearing, at a definite time-relation with the movement of the engine.For this purpose it is common to use a timer-shaft connected by helicalgears with some convenient rotary member, such as a pump-shaft or agenerator-shaft. It is also usual to provide some means for advancing orretarding the position of the circuit-controller, relatively to that ofthe engine-mechanism to change the time of ignition in the cycle ofoperation of the engine.

The present invention relates to gearing or drive-mechanism for thepurpose aforesaid, and particularly to t e means for changing the timeof ignition. The object of the invention is to provide simple andinexpensive mechanism by which the time of ignition may be controlledwithout the necessity of moving the normally stationary parts of thecircuit-controller.

To the foregoing end the invention consists in simple and compact meansfor moving one of the helical gears axially with relation to the othergear.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a side-elevation, partly insection, of a mechanism embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is aplan-view of the mechanism, with parts broken away; and Fig. 3 is adetail-view of the thrust-collar.

The invention is illustrated as embodied in ignition-apparatus in whicha vertical timer-shaft 5 is driven by geared connection with thehorizontal armature-shaft 6 of an electric generator 7. The latter shafthas splines 8 fitting corresponding splines in a helical drive-gear 9,and this gear meshes with a pinion 10 fixed on the timer-shaft.

Serial No. 664,457.

The gearing is enclosed in a housing 1]., which is shown as fixed to theend of the generator.

The change in timing is accomplished by moving the gear 9 axially on theshaft 6. For this purpose the housing is bored, coaxially with the'shaft6, to admit a sliderod 12. This rod has a reduced portion 13 which isembraced by a collar 14, and the collar is fixed in the extended hub ofthe pinion 9 at a. point beyond the end of the shaft 6. To permitassembling of the parts. the collar may be divided centrally, asshown'in Fig. 3, being fixed in place by spinning over the edge 15 ofthe hub of the. pinion.

The )osition of the slide-rod 12 is controlled a lever 16. This lever ismounted in a vertical slot in a lug 17 projecting from the housing, andit is supported by a' pivot-pin 18 fixed in the lug. The slide-rod isslotted to receive the forked low'cr end of the lever, and the. leverand rod are connected by a in 19. The pin 19 is retained in place bytlie walls of the lug 17, so that it may be otherwise loose.

The lever 16 may be controlled by any suitable manually-operable means,and it will be apparent that its position determines the position of thepinion 9 on the splined shaft. It will also be apparent that anymovement of the pinion along the shaft causes a corresponding partialrotation of the gear 10 and shaft 5 which is independent of rotationcaused by rotation of the pinion.

To support the lever 16 and limit its pivotal movement, a stop-plate 20is fixed to the housing, this plate being slotted to receive theupper-end of the lever.

The inventor is aware that it has previously been proposed to change thetiming of ignition-apparatus by axial movement of one of a pair ofhelical gears, and the present invention resides only in the simple andcompact mechanism for producing and controlling such movement.

The splined connection between the pinion and the drive-shaft is used tocause rotation to be transmitted from one of these members to the otherwhile they are free for relative axial movement. For convenience ofdefinition these members are defined, in the following claims, as havinga splined connection, but it will be understood that the term, as soused, is not intended to be exclusive of any well known or equivalentform of connection for securing the same result, whether or not strictlydescribed b' this term.

Since t e load imposed on the pinion 9 b the gear 10 results in an axialthrust whic is always in the same direction, in any given apparatus,ositive engagement between the thrust-mem ers in one direction only issufficient, as they will be maintained always in engagement 'byforce-closure. Positive thrust-engagement in both directions has theadvantage, however, that it adapts the same structure, without anychangejfor operation in either direction of motion which may be requiredby the engine in connection cooperating with said thrust-bearing andJocatedin line with the shaft; and means for moving the thrust-membertowards and from the shaft to change-the position of the gear on theshaft.

I pinion upon the shaft.

- inion' of a housin 2. Drive-mechanism, as defined in claim 1, inwhichsaid thrust-bearing extends inwardly toward the axis of the pinion so asto overhang the end of the shaft and. provide a bearing-surface ofrelatively small area and radius of movement.

3. Drive-mechanism, as defined in claim 1, in which said thrust-bearingand thrustmember are formed to have positive engage ment in bothdirections of movement of the 4. In drive-mechanism for acircuit-controller, the combination, with a helical gear, a helicalpinion meshing therewith, and a shaft having a splined connection withthe enclosing the pinion and the gear and aving a bore coaxial with theshaft; a lever pivotedon the outside of the housing; a rod articulatedwith the lever and slidable .in said bore; and. a

thrust-bearing connecting the rod and the pinion and located beyond theend of the shaft.

i 5. Mechanism, as defined in claim 4, further characterized by the factthat the innerend of said rod is. grooved, and that said thrust-bearingcomprises a collar loosely engaging the oove in the rod and fixed to the'end of t e pinion.

. FARNU'M F; 'noii'snv.

